My mother emailed me the other day mentioning, among other things, that she hoped we would splurge on hotels at certain stages of this trip in order to alleviate the stresses and privations of budget accommodation.

Maybe she wished too hard, because we now find ourselves in the lap 'o luxury, Singapore-style.

Figuring that all accommodation in S'pore was expensive relative to other parts of Asia, we decided to spend our pennies on a fancy 'boutique-but-budget' hotel. We booked through an online discounter so as to cut the price and increase the delusional 'let's pat ourselves on the back for how we're actually saving money staying here' way of thinking.

Oh my goody goodness: there's 24 hr broadband internet access available in our room at no charge!

There's a flat screen TV!

There's a sumptuous shower with divine mosaic tiles and big plate-glass walls luxurious enough to make you swoon!

Of course, our room's not really the size of a dollhouse - it's more the size of a small cupboard under the stairs in a dollhouse.

You do not stay here if you value space, or the ability to get into bed without throwing yourself onto the mattress, commando-style (there being no floorspace to actually access the bed normally ....)

No biggie. Using broadband does not take up a lot of space.